As a precautionary measure against the introduction of the Zika virus, dengue fever, Chikungunya and other mosquito-borne diseases to Guam, two insecticides will be sprayed at major sites for the Festival of Pacific Arts.

Chris Anderson, Guam Department of Education deputy superintendent, said Thursday students will be given notices to show their parents or guardians about the application of pesticides.

The use of the two insecticides will be done after school hours, when students and personnel are away from the facility, Anderson said.

“The two insecticides, based on the information we got from (Public Health), have low toxicity. We have no reason to be concerned about health effects because spraying will be done when students are not in school and long before they go back to school,” Anderson said.

Coordination

Three of the Pacific island nations sending delegations to Guam for FestPac, which runs from May 22 to June 4, have reported cases of the Zika virus. Officials within Samoa, Tonga and American Samoa have response plans in place to control transmission rates.

“Although there are no cases of mosquito-borne diseases on Guam, (Public Health) has proactively coordinated with the Center for Disease Control and Prevention for the elimination of adult and larval mosquitoes in the areas used to support FestPac,” Guam DOE said in a statement.